Draft connection for mowers.



PATENTED MAY 5, 1903.

E. W. BURGESS. DRAFT UONNEGTION'POR MOWERS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 19' 1902.

H0 MODEL.

No. 727,085. Patented May 5, 1903.

UNITED STAT S PATENT FFICE.

EDWARD W. BURGESS, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGN OR TO INTER NATIONAL HARVESTER COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORA- TION OF NEW JERSEY.

DRAFT CONNECTION FOR MOWERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 727,085, dated May 5, 1903.

Application filed July 19, 1902. Serial No. 116,211. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern: has been found objectionable in that it tends .Be it known that I, EDWARD W. BURGESS, to lift the driving-wheels, and thereby rea citizen of the United States, residing at Milduce their traction, and to increase the draft waukee, in the county ofMilwaukee and State on the machine when the cutting apparatus of Wisconsin, haveinvented certain newand encounters heavy or lodged grass or other 55 useful Improvements in Draft Connections obstructions to its free advance movement. for Mowers, of which the following is a speci- Such a connection also interferes with the free float-ion, reference being had to the accompaelevation and tilting of the cutting apparanying drawings, forming a part thereof. tus when the latter engages grass or other IO The main objects of my invention are to obstructions on account of the arc movement 60 provide supporting and guiding connections which is caused by the push-rod and which for the cutting apparatus whereby the draft causes the cutting apparatus to advance as will be equally distributed between points of it begins to rise. Furthermore, when a sinattachment to fixed parts of the machine both gle connection of this kind is used a stiff before and behind the cutting apparatus, the heavy rod must be provided to withstand the 6 5 tendency of the rear or thrust connection to thrust of the cutting apparatus thereon withlift the driving-wheels and impair their tractout bending. The draft-rod connection alone ive power and the downward pull of the front has, on the other hand, proved unsatisfactory or draft connection on the pole will be refor the following reasons: It causes a downduced, and the cutting apparatus will be ward pull. on the pole and on the necks of 70 caused to move vertically in a stright line, the team; it tends to throw the cutting apand generally to improve the construction paratus up from the ground in case of inand operation of devices of this class. crease in draft, as when the cutting appara- The invention consists, essentially, in cer tus runs into heavy or lodged grass or entain novel features of construction and in counters obstructions, and it" necessitates lo- 75 the arrangement and combinations of parts cating the cutting apparatus and the shoe at hereinafter particularly described, and point-' its inner end farther from the drive-wheel on ed out in the claims. 7 account of the rearward arc movement caused In the accompanying drawings like numerby the draft-rod when the cutting apparatus als designate the same parts in the several is lifted. 8o figures. Y The foregoing objections are partially Figure 1 is a perspective view of a mowingavoided and the objects first stated are atmachine to which my improved supporting tained by myimproved supporting and guidand guiding connections for the cutting aping connections hereinafter described.

paratus are applied. Fig. 2 is a front view Referringto the accompanying drawings, 1 85 of thecoupling-brace and parts immediately designates the main frame of the machine, associated therewith as viewed in the direcand 2 the pole, attached at its rear end to said tion indicated by arrow A, Fig. 1; and Fig. frame. 3 is the'coupling-brace, hinged or 3 is a cross-section on the line B C, Figs. 1 pivoted at one end, as at'4c, to said frame, and

40 and 2, including portions of the draft and 5 is a yoke journaled on the other end of said 0 push rods. bar and free to turn a limited distance about In the construction of mowing-machines of its axis. To this yoke 5 is hinged or pivotthis class it has been customary to provide ally connected in a line transverse to the axis the cutting apparatus with a single supportof the coupling-brace a shoe 6, which carries 5 ing and guiding connection, either a front the finger-bar and knife or sickle. A lever 7 95 connection consisting of a draft-rod connectis fulcrumed or pivoted on the coupling-brace ing the coupling-brace with the pole or a rear 3 within a recess formed therefor in the sleeve connection consisting of a push-rod connectof the yoke 5, and it is capable of avibratory ing the coupling-brace with the frame of the movement on said coupling-brace independmachine. The push-rod connection alone ently of said yoke. 1m

8 is a draft-rod pivotally connected at its rear end with one arm of the lever 7 and at its front end with an eyebolt 9, which is adjustably attached to a bracket 10 on the under side of the pole 2. 11 is a push-rod pivotally connected at its front end with the other arm of lever 7 and at its rear end with the main frame near the axle.

The sleeve of yoke 5 turns on the couplingbrace in the usual way when the cutting mechanism is tilted either manually or in following the undulations of the ground in the ordinary operation of the machine. The cutting mechanism is tilted manually by means of a lever 12 and the usual or any suitable connections. The coupling-brace and cutting apparatus are lifted and adjusted vertically by means ofa lever 13 and the usual connections. When the coupling-brace and cutting apparatus are held against backward movement by means of a push-rod alone, the cutting apparatus when lifted will move in an arc of which the rear pivoted end of said pushrod is the center, and resistance to the advance of the cutting mechanism acting through said push-rod in an upward direction has a tendency to lift the main wheels, particularly that on the same side as the cutting apparatus, from the ground, and thus reduce their traction by which the cutting apparatus is driven.

When a draft-rod alone is used in place of a push-rod to hold the coupling-brace and cutting apparatus against backward movement, resistance to the advance of the cutting mechanism will exerta downward pull on the pole, increasing the weight on the necks of the team, and will tend to lift the cutting apparatus from the ground. As hereinbefore stated, these objections to a single guiding and supporting connection either front or rear are obviated by the construction and arrangement of the combined front and rear supporting and guiding connections hereinbefore described. The lever 7 being free to turn on the coupling-brace 3 and the draft and push rods 8 and 11 being pivoted to its opposite ends, it serves to divide the draft on the cutting apparatus between said draft and push rods,the draft-rod through its connection with the pole pulling downward on the frame with the same force that the pushrod exerts an upward thrust on the frame, thereby maintaining the traction of the main wheels and the efiective operation of the cutting apparatus. The equalizing-lever 7, the draft-rod 8, and the push-,rod 11 constitute a parallel motion by which the coupling-brace and cutting apparatus are caused to move up and down in a straight perpendicular line.

Various changes in the minor details of construction and arrangement of parts may be made within the spirit and intended scope of the invention.

I claim 1. In a mowing-machine the combination with the coupling-brace of a lever pivoted on said coupling-brace, and push and draft rods vevgoss pivoted to said lever on opposite sides of its connection with the coupling-brace, substantially as described.

2. In a mowing-machine the combination .with the frame, pole, coupling-brace and cutting apparatus attached to said couplingbrace, of a push-rod pivoted at its rear end to said frame, a draft-rod pivoted at its front end to said pole and an equalizing-lever pivoted to the other ends of said rods and at an intermediate point to said coupling-brace, substantially as described.

3. In a mowing-machine the combination with the coupling-brace, cutting apparatus attached thereto and means forvertically adjusting said cutting apparatus, of a lever pivoted to the coupling-brace and draft and push rods connecting said lever on opposite sides of its pivot with parts of the machine in front of and behind the cutting apparatus, substantially as described.

4. In a mowing-machine the combination with the frame and pole, of a co upling-brace pivoted to the frame and having a yoke journaled thereon, cutting apparatus attached to said yoke, a lever pivoted to the couplingbrace, and draft and push rods connecting the opposite ends of said lever with parts of the machine in front of and behind the cutting apparatus, substantially as described.

5. In a mowing-machine the combination with the coupling-brace pivoted to the frame of the machine at one end, and cutting apparatus attached to the other end of said brace, of supporting and guiding connections between said brace and parts of the machine before and behind it, confining the cutting apparatus in its up-and -down movements to an approximately straight path, substantially as described.

6. In a mowing-machine the combination with the coupling-brace pivoted at one end to the frame of the machine, and cutting apparatus having a jointed connection with the other end of said brace and capable of oscillating thereon, of supporting and guiding connections between said brace and parts of the machine before and behind it, confining the cutting apparatus in its up-and-down movements to an approximately straight path, substantially as described.

7. In a mowing-machine the combination with the coupling-brace pivoted at one end to the machine-frame, cutting apparatus attached to the other end of said brace, and means for vertically adjusting said cutting apparatus, of supporting and guiding connections between said brace and parts of the machine before and behind it, confining the cutting apparatus in its up-and-down movements to an approximately straight path, substantially as described.

8. In a mowing-machine the combination with the coupling-brace pivoted at one end to the machine-frame, cutting apparatus having a jointed connection with the other end of said brace, means for vertically adjusting 727,085 r p I 3 said cutting apparatus, and means for tilting In Witness whereof I hereto affix my signasaid cutting apparatus, of supporting and ture in presence of two Witnesses.

guiding connections between said brace and parts of the machine before and behind it, confining the cutting apparatus in its upand-down movements to an approximately straight path, substantially as described. I

EDWARD W. BURGESS.

Witnesses: V

FRANK .T. DRYBURGH, EARLE J. BRYDEN 

